AP English Language Test Prep

Hints and ideas to be successful

For the Test, do the following:

Be Prepared physically, rested, eat well, etc. Timing: Figure how much time you have per

question and stick to a the schedule. Write in the exam book, issues, key facts,

etc. Don't leave questions unanswered in a

section before moving on, unless you do not know the answer.

Answer questions in an episodic fashion. Don't let one influence the next.

Maintain your concentration.

Simple TipsStep 1: Figure out what kind of question you’re being

asked  Content: asks about the work as a whole, based

on a selection of information encompassing the whole piece.

Information: Asks about specific lines or selections from the work in context to THAT line or selection.

Opinion: Asks you to decipher the authors’ opinion about their topic based on textual clues.

Vocab: Asks you to define a word or phrase in context to the sentence it appears in.

Simple Tips (Cont.)Step 2: Look for all the questions that ask about specific lines – you don’t

even need to read the passage ahead of time

Step 3: Eliminate all wrong answers if possible Step 4: Give it the “feel” test – are the answers provided Positive (P),

Negative(N) or fairly Neutral (NE)? If one seems out of place, be skeptical. Then, go back and check the tone of the piece – which ones match the author’s attitude?

 Step 5: Attempt to rephrase the question into a statement with a blank

(_________) where the answer should be, then take the remaining answers and insert them in the blank.

 Step 6: Be aware of patterns – if many of the questions and answers have

more positive than negative tones, then the answers correct will more than likely be positive throughout. Also, some questions have answers to other questions within their phrasing.

Type of Questions The Dreaded Multiple-Multiple Choice!9. In line 52, “those’’ refers to which of the following?I. “words’’ (line 45)II.“circumlocutions’’ (line 46)III. “associations’’ (line 46)

(a) I only(b) II only(c) I and III only(d) II and III only(e) I, II, and IIIA lot of times, it is testing to see if you can find the

antecedent to the pronoun used by the author; its just a simple process of elimination

Close Readings, Analysis

Close readings require a variety of skills we’ve discussed this year. The following, while not ALL necessary each time, will help in assessing exactly the answer they are looking for. For the following, label each on the booklet FIRST(highlighting, underlining), and then assemble the essay.

Tips for Close Readings Figurative Language. Start easy –

are there any similes, images, metaphors, and/or symbols? Identify any and all. List implications and suggested meanings as well as denotations. What visual insights does each word give?

Look for repetitions, for oppositions – anaphora, asyndeton, antithesis, polysyndeton, etc… these indicate patterns

See also the meaning of the word in context – does it change from its standard meaning in the way it’s used?

Try to find at least one argumentative element used to further the author’s purpose

Diction. This section is closely connected with the section above. Diction, with its emphasis on words, provides the crux of the explication. Mark at least one important choice of verb in the passage; mark or list at least one noun, adjective, and adverb that seems VERY specifically chosen

Tips for Close Readings (Cont.) Tone. What is the

tone of the passage? How does it elucidate the entire passage? Is the tone one of irony? Sentimental? Serious? Humorous? Ironic? Even if it doesn’t ask, always refer somewhere to the author’s attitude toward the topic

Theme: A theme is not to be confused with thesis; the theme of a work of literature is its broadest, most pervasive concern, and it is contained in a complex combination of elements. In contrast to a thesis, which is usually expressed in a single, argumentative, declarative sentence, a theme is not a statement; rather, it often is expressed in a single word or a phrase, such as "love," "illusion versus reality," or "the tyranny of circumstance." Generally, the theme of a work is never "right" or "wrong." There can be virtually as many themes as there are readers, for essentially the concept of theme refers to the emotion and insight which results from the experience of reading a work of literature.

Get the intro done! (The rest will write itself)

Remember, for an Analysis essay, there’s really only one question – just a million ways of asking it. Essentially, the question is “How does the author use literary and figurative elements to arrive at his/her Rhetorical Purpose?” It’s two questions: How (Lit. and Fig. Elements, diction), and Why (What’s the reason he/she put pen to paper? Rhet. Purp.)

Use the pre-reading to answer Be sure to answer the question asked Make sure that everything goes into the

intro that you plan to talk about. Assemble using the pre-reading info:

• First sentence: Author, Title of Work, Theme• Second and third sentence: Two specific things that

the author does with language• Fourth sentence: What tone does the author belie

with these choices?• Thesis: Tell me a) what his/her purpose is, and b)

make a statement that these lit. and fig. elements go toward that purpose.

Main Body Paragraphs Before you start writing them, pick three

things you can talk about for at LEAST a paragraph each.

Be sure that you find two things for each topic to highlight (Two fig. elements, two lit. elements, two choices of diction).

QUOTE! Don’t paraphrase! EXPLAIN! Don’t paraphrase! DON’T PARAPHRASE! We ALL have a

copy of the passage.

Argumentative Selections Remember the following tips:

• Do a T-Chart – be sure you can at LEAST discuss two topics that go toward your position, and at LEAST one thing the other side gets “wrong” about the topic

• Be definitive in your thesis – You are right, and there’s only one way to look at the topic.

• Be sure you can prove your points – what are some examples from literature, your life, or the lives of people you know that elucidate your position

• Use the language of argumentation – consciously use appeals and reasoning (syllogisms)

Argumentative (Cont.) For the synthesis, remember this:

• Find at LEAST two selections that have information that will go toward proving your position

• Find at LEAST one selection that opposes your viewpoint, and find the flaw in the reasoning

• Show empathy – you understand the poor reasoning, but it still is wrong.

• Ask questions – just not at the Attention Grabber!